Moore: Ability to bounce back proving to be a strength of Phillies

Monday

Nearly 60 percent of the way through the 2018 Major League Baseball season, the Phillies are showing no signs of falling out of playoff contention.

Even with the Phils' 4-3 road loss to the Mets in Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader, they were only one-half game behind the idle Braves in the National League East. Their 49-39 record gave them 20 wins more than they had after 88 games a year ago.

Gabe Kapler's team has done it with terrific starting pitching, an opportunistic offense and a good-enough bullpen. Heading into the four games in three days vs. the Mets, the Phillies had won seven of their last eight series.

But the most impressive aspect has been their resilience.

The Phillies have just seven losing streaks this season, with none longer than four games. They are finding ways to bounce back and prevent lengthy skids.

Following the previous six stretches with multiple defeats, five of their next victories were by at least three runs — and three of them via shutout. They are bouncing back and winning big in those instances.

That is a sign of a confident club.

Some fans still might not be big Kapler fans, but he deserves a great deal of credit for getting his players to buy the positivity he is selling. He's been saying he thinks the Phillies are a playoff team since spring training and they are playing like it.

The team with baseball's best record in one-run games (19-8) would usually possess a lights-out closer and reliable defense, yet the Phillies have neither. That only makes what they've done more remarkable.

With top two starters Zach Eflin and all-star selection Aaron Nola going Monday, the Phillies had been optimistic about their chances to take two from the Mets, though it didn't happen.

"It's a great opportunity to go in and win two ballgames and kind of show everyone we're really here to stay," catcher Andrew Knapp told reporters after Sunday's 4-1 loss in Pittsburgh.

Kapler clearly placed more emphasis on beating the NL East-rival Mets than the Pirates because he called up Drew Anderson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley for the finale against Pittsburgh rather than using Eflin on his customary fifth day.

It says something that Phillies fans were disappointed the Phils didn't end up with multiple all-stars for the first time since 2013, when Dom Brown and Cliff Lee made it. Each team must have a representative.

A closer look shows that center fielder Odubel Herrera, while a viable candidate, has been too inconsistent and superb reliever Seranthony Dominguez would've had a better case if he pitched here all year. As for left fielder Rhys Hoskins, he's batting .255.

While the Phils are playing good baseball, they could still use some help by the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. Orioles shortstop Manny Machado, who becomes a free agent after this season, would look especially good in Phillies red.

I'd be willing to trade multiple prospects for Machado, even though there's no guarantee he'd be more than a 2 1/2-month rental. I wouldn't part with Eflin, who Baltimore reportedly is interested in, or High-A pitcher Sixto Sanchez, but anybody else should be fair game.

It's time to take what Kapler's team has done so far and move it to the next level.

Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly

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